Review of Yamishibai Anime-Japanese Ghost Stories
Globally, otakus of the horror genre enjoy watching Japanese horror anime. Among the most viewed horror anime, Yamishibai represents a unique way of storytelling. Being a horror anime fan, watch anime online at Crunchyroll and any other website where Yamishibai is available to enjoy the sardonic and spine-chilling plot shown through the water-colored characters and enthralling voice of the narrator.
Spine-chilling storytelling until Season 3
Unlike many other gory horror anime, Yamishibai lacks that gore yet the audience will constantly feel the uneasiness that is caused by sheer fear. The exact translation of Yamishibai is “Theater of Darkness”.
In Japan, a masked narrator travels to different places and tells horror stories called Kamishibai. Their constant traveling helps them to gather their story stock.
Here also, a narrator with an outstanding voice tells each story and the anime continues for four and a half minutes. Each story has a different plot, characters that are completely separate from each other.
Talking about the episodes or the individual stories- the first episode of Season 1 will impress you. Here a guy is about to enter a haunted house and the dark energies will create an unpleasant situation.
Talking about the little boy hiding behind a closed wardrobe sees a couple entering the door wearing joker masks.
The teenaged girl praying to the ghost doll to have her lover ends up watching the gory episode when the guy appears beside her but got stashed inside the school locker in the form of a sack of meat.
The story of the teacher who decides to stay after school to finish a few paper works came across a horrific situation when she sees prints of hair on paper. The printer starts printing images of hair automatically.
Season 4 Disappoints
The latest season is Season 4 where the creators thought to make some drastic changes to make it more acceptable to okatus. However, their quest to reach the unreachable fell from the cliffs. According to many fans, Season 4 is an utter disappointment for various reasons.
The stories of this season are hardly suspenseful or horrific. They are mostly blunt and boring to okatus. They also changed the narrator and the new voice is less convincing to viewers considering the previous narrator/voice artist.
Underrated & Not-Dubbed
According to many reviews from the fans, it’s sad to say this has been one of the most under-rated horror anime when Yamishibai has all the potentials to become a super hit. Horror genre fans haven’t missed it though, however, you’ll not find the dubbed version. The series is not dubbed as it failed to get more viewership.
Fortunately, the entertainment quotient would fail if the series is dubbed in English or any other language. The voice of the narrator along with other sound sequences created to increase the depth of the fear will be destroyed if it gets replaced by any other voice.
Diehard Japanese okatus that watch anime are hereby content for enjoying the Japanese version of Yamishibai. Overall, out of 5, the series deserves 3.5 as a fine horror anime.
